


Perfect Match

by AAM_writes



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Smut, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:35:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23260006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AAM_writes/pseuds/AAM_writes
Summary: Betty Cooper is just shy of 22 years old, but she has witnessed the population of Earth reduce itself by a quarter in the last 20 years.Years of research and testing lead to compatibility marriages. Young men and women were supposed to finish schools and colleges before they were to pass their final tests and be appointed to a partner.Will Betty get a perfect match and a happy marriage?
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 230
Kudos: 319
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well I feel really anxious about posting it and at first I imagined this story as a long one shot, but decided to separate it into chapters, even if they are short. The first two will serve to introduce you into this universe and get aquatinted with the characters and then we will get to the real action. So... I hope I did well. It is my first multichapter.

Betty Cooper is just shy of 22 years old, but she has witnessed the population of Earth reduce itself by a quarter in the last 20 years.

  
Some would say it’s God’s will and punishment for our sins. Others try to explain it with natural selection, mutations or even aliens conspiracies. But noone truly knows why fertility suddenly began falling about 20 years ago. Probably even earlier, it just became more obvious two decades ago, when one had to make an appointment for IVF consultation in advance of a year. Fertility was lost not only among women, men lost in their ability to procreate too.

  
Years of research and testing lead to compatibility marriages and stratification of society. Young men and women were supposed to finish schools and colleges before they were to pass their final tests and be appointed to a partner.

  
The most fertile families were given privileges as encouragement for procreation. The infertile ones were left for most dangerous jobs.

  
It was not as bad as it could seem. They never lived in those futuristic cities one could see in movies about future. The everyday life remained almost the same as it was before, with the exception of regular testings since the age of 12.

  
People were allowed to live freely till their “match date”. One could date and involve with whomever they wanted. Sometimes, but still very rarely, people found their partners before final testing and matching. It happened with Betty’s sister Polly. Polly got pregnant from her high school boyfriend Jason and no less than with twins! Though their parents were not particularly ecstatic about the fact that it happened while Polly and Jason were still teenagers, they were proud to confirm high fertility of their families and their high position in the society therefore.

  
More often people were matched and then they got used to one another with time, raising a child together. Some of them even fell in love.

  
There were also cases like with Jason’s twin sister Cheryl. Being highly fertile she was matched for a marriage with Dilton Doiley and got pregnant fairly quickly, though, being a member of a family Betty knew about its inner workings. Cheryl and Dilton’s marriage was nothing more than a compatibility arrangement. Dilton got higher in class and was allowed to indulge in his scouting and conspiracy theories quietly while Cheryl adored her twins (Blossom family trait) and their nanny Toni.

  
Betty grew up in a picture perfect family of Coopers. She was encouraged to study good, take extracurriculars and lead a heathy life so she would make the family proud by confirming its high status. Her parents being rather strict and upright still loved their children and let Betty date through high school and college, not that she did it a lot. Just one boyfriend in high school, whom she decided to leave along with a small town she was from, and one during college. So to say she wasn’t a stranger to intimacy, but she was still anxious about what was awaiting her.

You see. The arranged match had to be consummated in a span of three days after marriage. That was prompted by the initial purpose of all this procedure of matchmaking, which is procreation. And it obviously cant be done without sex. Considering circumstances of modern marriages contraceptives just didn't exist anymore, instead lots of various means of increasing arousal and libido were created. The marriage was to be held in no longer than two weeks since matching. At least they had a little bit of time to get to know each other. But anyways, to lay with practically a stranger... and what if he wasn’t even slightly attractive?!

  
Just yesterday Betty got her diploma and an appointment in matching bureau with it. She had an evening to celebrate her graduation and a day to prepare for her life to change.

Her mother gave her a lecture on how she should meet her future husband and what they should discuss. Betty had heard all of it a hundred times before. She was prepared, she knew all the instractions and all about the procedure and its steps. She'd know what was awaiting her all her life. Why was she so nervous now?

  
Sitting in the waiting room Betty tried to stay calm, but her fingers shredding a napkin into tiny pieces showed her anxiety. At least it was better that self harming habit she had in high school. It was a simple procedure, she passed it numerous times, but that time felt more important. At it was. They would take her blood for testing, but this time instead of just confirming her record they would upload the results into system and it would find the most perfect match fo her according to the hormonal and genetic compatibility.

  
When the procedure had just started years ago it would take days of testing and looking through databases to find a match, but with time everything was improved and automated. So, one had to wait for about an hour to receive the results.

  
Betty almost jumped from the chair when she heard her name.

  
A nurse gave her a kind smile and asked to relax. One pinch, several seconds and a test tube with dark red liquid was sent to decide her fate. Betty was led to the rest room to have tea and a sweet treat while waiting.

  
She always wondered what her match would be like and she couldn’t believe that soon she wold get answers to the mess of questions in her head.

  
What would he look like? Would he be kind? Smart? Funny? Would he like books like her? What will be the color of his eyes? Hair? Will he enjoy their intimacy? Will he be a good father to their child?

  
“Miss Cooper” Betty was snapped out of her inner thoughts. “We’ve got your results.”

  
Taking a deep breath Betty raised from her seat and walked into the office.

  
“Well, Miss Cooper, I congratulate you with a successful match. I must say it’s not often that we get such good compatibility as you have with your future partner.” Mr. Weatherbee beamed at her.

  
“Thank you... I think” Betty didn’t know what to say.

  
“I won’t have you waiting any more time.” He smiled again and turned to the papers in his hands, “So, according to your test results you were matched for future marriage and procreation with Mr. Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third.”

  
Betty gulped. Here it was. The name of her future husband. Rather ridiculous, frankly speaking, but anyhow...

  
“Mr. Jones passed his test yesterday, he was preliminarily matched with you based on your future results, but we had to wait for the results of your final test to complete the match. So now we just need to confirm him the results ang organize a meeting for you two. Mr. Jones doesn't live in the city, but it's a short train ride, so I think tommorow will work."

Betty nodded.

"You will be assigned a member of our staff for future guidance. Here is the documents with the basis of this arrangement. You assistant will help you through all the steps leading to the marriage.”

Betty nodded againg, taking the documents from still smiling Weatherbee. It seemed she wasn't able to utter a single word.

"You assigned assistant will contact you later and schedule a meeting with Mr. Jones tommorow. It was pleasure to meet you, Miss Cooper. I wish you a happy family."

Betty smiled tightly, raising from her chair and shaking the man's hand.

She still couldn't believe she had her result. Her life was going to change once and forever. She walked out of the office still in trance, her heart beating wildly in her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty ang Jughead's first meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be a smutfic, but i got caught up in plot. And I doubt it will happen in the next chapter. I made Jughead so sappy I wanna slap myself.  
> There is a lot of fluff and shy smiles.

There must be some mistake, because it can’t be real. He can’t be matched with someone as beautiful and nice as Elisabeth Cooper.

He came into the room where they are meeting with their assistant Kevin and froze in place.

She turned her head to see him from where she is sitting with her back to the door and smiled politely. Pale skin, big green eyes, plump lips and blonde waves framing her beautiful face.

She raised from her chair and is standing there in her baby blue sundress and cream cardigan, her appearance screams “gorgeous” and “classy” and “out of your league, Jughead”, and he is just standing and staring there.

How is this real? It can’t be that he gets to have this beautiful woman as his wife, because Jughead doesn’t get to have anything nice in his life.

When he sees nervousness flicking in her eyes he understands he has to say something, or at least move from the doorway.

“H-.. hi” he finally croaks and makes his legs move in direction of the second chair.

“Forsythe!” a preppy young man from behind the desk, that must be Kevin, chirps, “Just in time!”

Jughead cringes hearing his legal name, “uh... it’s Jughead.”

“Excuse me?” Kevin asks.

Jughead’s eyes flick to the face of his match. She looks confused, brows slightly furrowed.

“I don’t like when people call me Forsythe. Everybody calls me Jughead. It has been this way practically from my early childhood.” he tries to explain.

“Okaaaayy” Kevin drawls.

“I’m Betty” he hears beautiful feminine voice.

Both men turn to the blonde sitting next to him. She blushes a little and explains.

“Nobody calls me Elizabeth too, it’s Betty.” she says and smiles slightly.

Jughead can’t help but return the smile.

“Well, that’s nice” Kevin exclaims clapping his hands, “shall we start?”

Betty and Jughead both nod at that.

“I guess we can skip introductions. As you both know I’m Kevin and I will support and help you on your way to marriage. You both know each other already, so we need to settle the basic points of your arrangement.” he looks at them expectantly and both of them can only nod and listen what Kevin has to say.

“Okay, so. First, we need to settle the living issue, because apparently, Betty here lives in New York and Jughead in Centreville. We need you to settle on one place, it can be anything you wish, but preferably in our state, so we wouldn’t need to pass your case to the other state’s bureau.”

Jughead glances at Betty and sees conflict on her face. She obviously doesn’t want to leave her place, but he can see that she is too polite to be selfish. Well, he has nothing to hold on.

“I can move” he breaks the silence.

Betty turns to look at him and there is a mixture of relief, guilt and something else on her face.

“Are you sure?” she asks, furrowing her brows with worry.

“Yeah, there is nothing left for me at Centreville.”

He senses Betty wants to asks why, but she dismisses the urge and smiles at him again and he understands that he is ready to move to the North Pole just to see her smile. It’s a strange feeling, that he has got only near his sister and Archie and Fred before. And it confuses him as in why would he feel something like this for nearly a stranger, even if she’s got an angelic kind of beauty.

“Thank you” she finally says, her eyes so sincere, he wants to take her hand and smile like a fool, but refrains from it.

“Oh, that’s great! So, we will look for a place in New York. I’ll send you some apartments that will suit you according to the bureau’s classification. You are placed in a rather high class family, so you’ll have a quite good variety. We will need to look through the options during the next week and decide, so you’ll be able to move in by the wedding.” Kevin chatters looking at his computer for more information.

“Are you really okay with this?” Betty asks once again.

“Yeah" he would probably miss seeing Archie and Fred, but Jellybean will move to college in autumn anyways and the Andrews clan can visit him and he can visit them, that's not so far away.

Betty nods and they continue.

“Next. Your job interviews. Now, that we know where you will live we can search for suiting jobs for you. Let’s just check the information about your education. Betty, I see you got a degree in journalism.”

“That’s correct” she confirms.

Can she be any more perfect? Jughead thinks. She even has a job connected to writing.

“Okay, Jughead, you have a degree in... creative writing. Wow!” Kevin looks at them raising his brows, “you two are really a match.”

Betty ducks her head blushing a little and Jughead really hopes they match as well as Kevin seems to think.

“So, we’ll find some job opportunities for you and again, I’ll email you the options.” Kevin continues. “And the main point, considering why we are here today, your wedding.” he declares triumphantly.

Jughead gulps and looks at Betty again, she doesn’t seem repulsed by the idea of marriage with him, but she is visibly nervous, fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress.

“Considering it will be the season of weddings you need to decide on the venue and all other aspects as soon as possible if we want to book the best.” Kevin looks at them smiling and eager. Jughead can see that organizing the wedding must be his favorite in this whole procedure.

“Um... does it have to be a huge event?” Jughead grimaces just thinking about being the center of attention and interacting with people and fake smiling at them.

Kevin’s smile falters “Not at all! Some couples decide on just signing the papers and going to the court house. It’s all up to you.”

“If it were up to me I’d just sign the papers. What do you think?” he turn to look at Betty.

“I... I don’t want a huge wedding too” Jughead sighs with a bit of relief at her words, “but my family won’t be happy without one at all, so... um... maybe we can go to the court house with our witnesses and organize a small dinner with family and friends somewhere cozy and nice?”

And he can’t refuse her anything, when her eyes are so hopeful and she is so polite and nice and _oh god..._

“Of course” he smiles at her warmly and she smiles in return. He can feel something blooming in his chest and tickling in his stomach and tries to suppress this feeling before he melts into a sappy puddle beneath her feet.

“Okay. How many people do you think? I’ll find the venue by tomorrow’s evening” Kevin seems to perk up again.

“Oh... I.. can we postpone this question? I think we should meet somewhere less formal and discuss this more thoroughly. Maybe with parents. Do you mind meeting my parents?” Betty turns to Jughead again.

“Yeah.. no.. I mean, I don’t mind meeting yours, but there won’t be mine. Doest tomorrow lunch work for you?”

“It probably will, I just need to settle it with my mother.”

They talk a bit more about various formalities and Kevin dismisses them with a stack of official papers they have to look through and sign.

They stand in the hall, both ready to leave, but not quite eager to.

“It was nice meeting you” Betty breaks awkward silence hanging between them.

“Yeah, you too...”

The silence falls again, heavy and not comfortable.

“So... I have your number here” she raises her hand clutching the papers, “I guess I’ll text you later so we can decide on the time for tomorrow.”

“Yeah... yes, okay” he doesn’t even know why he can’t say anything besides agreeing with her.

“Okay... goodbye then” she smiles and he can see a little of disappointment and sadness in that smile.

When she makes two steps in the direction of the door Jughead decides to bite the bullet.

“Betty, wait!” and she turns raising her brows.

“I.. uh.. I have two hours till my train back home and I wondered maybe... maybe you would go with me for a coffee somewhere?” he rambles, but his nervousness starts to dissipate when he sees a grin slowly splitting her face, “You know, to get to know each other a bit. It would be awkward meeting your parents when I know nothing about you.” he smiles shyly and rubs the back of his neck.

She is smiling brightly now and he thinks her smile can compete with sun.

“Yeah, okay. There is a nice little coffee shop not far away from here.” she answers.

“Lead the way then” he says.

They chat sipping their coffees. He takes black without cream or sugar, she - a latte with vanilla syrup. They talk about general things like their main interests, favorite books and their college experiences. Betty talks about her family and Jughead mentions that he is not close with his parents and has had a chosen family for a long time already. They try to avoid heavy themes or something like having children that can lead the conversation to the topic of their impending marriage.

They part with a promise of meeting tomorrow and in the evening, lying in his bed in Fred's house, Jughead smiles at his phone when she texts him.

‘Does 2p.m. work for you? There is a nice cafe not far from my place, we can meet there.’

‘Sure, that works fine. Send me the address’

Betty sends him a geotag.

The next message comes right after the address

‘And I should probably warn you... brace yourself and don’t take anything my mother will say close to heart. She is actually a good person.’

At that his eyes widen and Jughead becomes nervous again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumbrl as aam-loves


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is really just a filler chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, i like writing it so much! And all of your comments are so sweet and they cheer me up a lot and push me to write more, even when i can't get up from my laptop for 10 hours straight because of work. Hope you will enjoy this one.

At the meeting with the Coopers Jughead just sits and listens. As does Betty’s father. Alice Cooper is an overbearing woman. She looks at him skeptically, but doesn’t comment as she can’t really affect the decision of the bureau. She says his name dividing it into two words and doesn’t speak to him a lot aside from introduction. Well, she doesn’t speak not only to him, she doesn’t ask anyone’s opinion. She takes everything about the wedding into her hands, it seems she has everything planned already. So she just asks him about the quantity of people from his side. When he says 5 (that is including the best man), she raises her brows skeptically, but doesn’t comment, just writes the number down into her planner.

  
Alice plans quickly and orders Betty to send everything to Kevin so the organization will be completed. They don’t talk much, just a polite conversation while finishing their meals and Jughead is a bit upset that he doesn’t get to talk more to Betty, or doesn’t get any one on one time with her, as her mother drags her shopping for wedding dress right after their lunch.

  
Later that night he receives the full wedding day plan, including the venue and Archie tells him he probably has to wear a suit as there is a color scheme for him and his best man to meet.

Jughead thought he accepted and absorbed everything happening in his life right till this moment. Now, he has the date when Betty will become his wife printed down on paper. And finally, to kick his mind into overdrive, he receives two more emails. One containing an assortment of apartments and scheduled meetings so he and Betty could have a look. The other - his job interviews.

  
He makes plans with Archie to go shopping for suit some time during the week and calls Betty to settle on the plan for tommorow, when they need to look at the first apartment.

  
.

  
They meet at the entrance into the building of the first apartment they are supposed to look at. Kevin and Betty are already there when he arrives. All the suggested apartments are in nice apartment complexes in good neighborhood. And to him all of them seem like castles, considering he spent his childhood on the couch in his parents’ crappy trailer and bunked in school’s janitor closet until Archie found out and persuaded him that they didn’t need the room that had been Mary’s study. And he has been staying with them until now.

  
The first apartment looks nice, but he thinks it is dull and lacks the feeling of home. It is made in classical style and calming pastel colors and he doesn’t speak his thought, because it seems like something Betty would like and he wants her to have what she wants. But after inspecting the apartment Betty emerges from one of the bedrooms with her lips pursed and brows furrowed. The apartment is nice, but something just screams cold and soulless to her.

  
“What’s wrong?” Jughead asks noticing her face expression.

  
“Oh” she startles, “nothing.. uh.. what do you think?” she asks waving her hand, indicating she asks about the apartment.

  
“It’s nice...” he starts tentatively. She catches her lower lip between her teeth then, lowering her eyes to the floor. And he understands he doesn’t have to be elusive, because she just wants to be polite in case he likes the apartment, “but I don’t think it is IT.”

  
He sees how her entire face lights up, “Yeah, it just doesn’t click with me, you too?”

  
He nods, smiling and they leave the building for lunch and coffee as they have time before they are to see the next apartment.

  
At lunch Kevin chats eagerly with Betty, discussing her dress and venue for the wedding and they get to know that Kevin’s own marriage failed to prove the compatibility with his partner and now he devotes his life to arranging other people’s supposed happiness. Oh, and he is gay apparently, that explains a lot Jughead thought.

  
When they enter the next apartment Jughead immediately feels like he is at home. It’s a foreign feeling to him, as he still feels like he is intruding on Andrews’ hospitality even after 7 years of living there. But this place just does something for him.

  
It’s a spacious two bedroom apartment, mostly furnished, with a big living room with floor to ceiling windows and an open plan kitchen. It’s not exactly a loft, but it has some industrial design mixed with classic and boho-chic. There are brick walls, a lot of wood, leather and warm colors as well as green. He likes green. And there is a wall lined with a large bookcase.

  
He looks at Betty and sees the hopeful expression on her face. He walks closer to her and she has to tilt her head a little to look into his eyes.

  
“I think this is it” he whispers, “this is our home.”

  
“Yeah” she smiles.

  
“So what do you guys think?” Jughead hears Kevin behind his back.

  
“We want to live here!” Betty exclaims excitedly.

  
“You sure? Don’t you want to look at the third apartment?” Kevin asks.

  
“No. This is perfect. It feels like home, right, Jug?”

  
And Jughead’s heart melts a little when she shortens his name.

  
“That’s right” he ensures her smiling softly.

  
“Oooh, I can already see where I want to put the plants. They will look so good here. And I’m absolutely in love with this bookcase” she starts her excited ramble and Kevin joins her in the design planning. Jughead can only stand and enjoy watching her happy and excited about their future home. _Their..._ That sounds nice.

  
When they settle the papers and are allowed to move in in two days Betty is bit calmer, but she still feels something pleasant bubbling inside of her. They are about to leave when she asks, “Maybe you would like to have coffee again? Or go for a walk in some park?”

  
Jughead wants, really wants, but...

  
“Oh, I’d be happy to, but the train leaves in 40 minutes and I need to reach the station...” he rubs the back of his neck and hopes she won’t think that he doesn’t want to spend time with her.

  
“Oh, no, no that’s fine! God, I forgot that you have to travel here from another town, so stupid of me” she mumbles and blushes furiously.

“Shit, that must be really uncomfortable, you have so much to do in the city these days, maybe you could stay at my place and I’ll crash at my friend’s?” she continues.

  
“Oh, no, that’s completely fine. Trips by train let me people watch and make some notes for my novel.” he reassures her.

“You are writing a novel?” her big eyes shine with interest again.

  
“Uh, yeah... I try” he blushes,embarrassed. He doesn’t like to talk about it. “And besides that, I think I’ll be able to bring all my things in one go, so I can stay in our new apartment... if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not! It is your home too.”

  
There is a bit of awkward silence and Jughead says “I’ll be in the city tomorrow for a job interview. Maybe we can meet after that?”

  
“That would be great” she smiles and perks up again.

  
.

  
Jughead is surprised at how easily he got the job. He thinks the bureau must have something to do with it, but he also still believes that he’ll be good at it. So he rushes to the park where he is supposed to meet Betty.

  
He comes a couple of minutes before her and she is particularly delighted to see how his face splits with a grin when he sees her. They walk around the park for a bit, Jughead tells her he’ll be working as a book editor for a good publishing house and she seems to be genuinely happy for him. They talk about general things again and Betty chatters about what she would like to do in their apartment.

  
It feels like they click easily, like they really like each other, but something still strains their relationship. Maybe it’s a fact that they are forced into it. Though Betty is sure they would have come to it by themselves should they have met like people did before.

  
Every time they meet Betty likes him more. She thinks he is really handsome, his stormy blue eyes seem so deep and magnetic, her breath catches every time he looks straight into her eyes. He also seems guarded and cautious and she wishes he wasn’t afraid of opening to her. But she can’t blame him for that, as she can’t say she is being her true self with him too.

  
.

  
The day of the moving in Jughead arrives to the city with Archie. Archie volunteered to help him move with his truck and Jughead joked that he must annoyed him so much that he was eager to get rid of him. Of course that wasn’t an issue, Archie loved him like a brother and was really excited for his best friend.

  
Kevin is waiting him near the entrance, saying Betty already has her set of keys and will drop by later. He hands him his set.

  
“I hope I’ll be invited to housewarming.” Kevin smiles.

  
“Housewarming?”

  
“Relax, I’m just kidding, though it would be nice, I like boarding games.” Kevin smiles a bit awkwardly now.

  
Jughead doesn’t know why, but he likes Kevin, feels like he is a genuinely good person stuck with a boring job in the system. And Betty seems to like him too.

  
“Like D&D?” Jughead supplies.

  
“And monopoly.” Kevin’s smile seems broader at that.

  
“I suck at monopoly, but maybe Betty likes it, I’ll talk to her about housewarming.”

  
And at that they part. Jughead watches at keys in his hand a bit awestruck when he hears Archie’s voice.

  
“Wow! That’s quite a nice building!”

  
“Wait till you see what’s inside” Jughead smirks. He takes one of his bags, while Archie hauls a couple of boxes, and they make their way inside.

  
The apartment is furnished and quiet cozy as it is, but it lacks details that makes it feel lived in and totally theirs. He supposes Betty will be good at fixing it judging by what she was talking about during their walk.

  
Jughead and Archie manage to bring all his things into the apartment in five goes. Archie is busy connecting the gaming console to the big tv in the living room and Jughead is ordering pizza when he hears the rattling of keys in the lock.

  
A moment later Betty enters the apartment holding two large shopping bags. He rushes to help her.

“Hey”, he says while taking the bags from her hands, “Kevin said you’ll stop by.”

  
“Hi”, she smiles and then almost jumps from surprise when Archie emerges from the living room, rushing to meet her like an eager puppy.

  
“Hi! You must be Betty! I’m Archie, Jughead’s best friend and practically a brother.” he shakes her hand smiling broadly.

  
“Oh, hi. It’s nice to meet you.” she greets him warmly and politely, glancing around the apartment.

  
“We got tired from unpacking and decided to play video games and ordered pizza” Jughead shuffles awkwardly.

  
“Oh, that’s fine! I figured you would want to stay here and I know there is no bedding here and I didn’t know if you’d bring one, so I decided to buy a new one and... I guess I got carried away...” she finishes blushing and glancing at the bags from the shop.

  
“I completely forgot about bedding, I would sleep on the bare mattress if it’s not for you.” he smiles feeling a bit stupid, but satisfied with a grin on her face.

  
“Okay, I’ll just throw it to the washing machine and then, after the dryer, you can spread it. I hope you don’t mind the colors, I didn’t know what you like.” She says starting unpacking the bags.

  
He can see she brought some cleaning supplies and something for laundry, and there are throw pillows for living room couch he assumes.

  
“I think I’ll start bringing my things tomorrow after the interview.” she continues, “you think you won’t forget to throw it into the dryer?” she asks frowning at two bedding sets in her hands.

  
“Um... I might need some guidance... “ he mumbles, “maybe you can stay with us for a while, we ordered pizza...”

  
“Yeah! And we can play video games and I’ll tell you all the embarrassing stories about Jug’s childhood” Archie encourages her.

  
“Okay, only for embarrassing stories” she laughs. 

She completely ruins them both in video games and Archie, thankfully, tells her just one story about Jughead and byrger eating conquest. Archie also seems to think that Betty is really cool and Jughead lets himself be proud that this woman is going to be his wife.

.

  
The rest of the time before wedding passed in a flurry of events. Unpacking his own things, helping Betty to move and unpack her things too. Betty even dragged him shopping for some knickknacks for the apartments and they returned with arms full of bags again. But she still stayed in her apartment and when it was completely clear of her things she said that she would stay with her friend Veronica till the wedding. Besides that Jughead started his new job, there was a lot to figure out and get used to, but he promised himself to be a good partner for Betty and made his best at work, so his boss even praised on his early job by the end of the first week.

  
Alice organized the night before the wedding to be spent in a hotel by the whole wedding party, that is about 20 people. And that’s where they are now. Betty and Jughead in different rooms of course.

  
“So, Betty” her raven haired friend starts lying on the bed, paging through some magazine, “now, that I finally saw that fiancé of yours, remind me again why have you been crushing in my spare bedroom when you could have been banged by Mr. Tall dark and moody in your bed in your shared beautiful apartment?”

  
“Oh my god, Veronica!” Betty hides her face, red as a tomato, behind her hands.

  
“What?! He’s not my type, but I recognize a handsome man, when I see one, even if he hides under all that grungy clothes.”

  
“It’s not like that between us. And I know that he is handsome, okay. It’s just... I don’t know. I don’t feel close to him.” Betty states looking down at her open palms now.

  
At that Veronica seems to loose her joking attitude.

  
“Hey, B... are you okay?” she asks tentatively. Veronica might be a bit spoiled and light minded, but she loves her fried fiercely. “I can organize an escape if you want, we will hide you in the Lodge lodge and then held you pass the border to Canada.”

  
“No... no, you don’t need to.” Betty chuckles, “I just... we just met and tomorrow he will be my husband and we are supposed to make babies! I knew that was supposed to happen and my mother prepared me, but I just can’t place it in my head.” she sighs.

  
“Okaaaaay... I think I know what we need to do.” Veronica taps on her phone while finishing the sentence.

  
Five minutes later there is a knock at her door, Betty opens it expecting it to be her mother with some exhortations, but is met with the sight of Jughead. Worry clear on his face.

  
“Are you okay?” he asks.

  
“I’ll leave you two to it.” Veronica speaks behind her and slips past them into the hallway.

  
“Come in” Betty makes room for him to step into the room, deciding the talk won’t hurt.

  
“Really, are you okay?” he asks again, “Veronica texted Archie something about you being anxious and us needing to talk.”

  
“Of course those two exchanged the phone numbers already” Betty huffs, she noticed Veronica eyeing Archie when they were introduced to each other during the dinner.

  
They settle on the end of the bed, with a couple feet space between them.

  
“Aren’t you nervous? About tomorrow?” she speaks quietly.

  
“Out of my mind” he laughs humorlessly, “sorry, I just...”

  
“I get it. I don’t take changes really well, and that is a huge one.” she interrupts him.

  
“That’s right. But... uh... I’m happy it’s with you” he speaks quietly.

  
She smiles slightly “Why are they writing all these fairy tales if they are so far from real life?” she muses.

  
“So we could escape into them” he says.

  
She raises her eyes to look into his and sees pure sincerity. He is open and vulnerable with her now.

  
“Tell me a secret” she whispers looking into his eyes, “Tell me something that nobody knows, that would be only ours.”

  
He is silent for a moment, then sighs deeply, “My mother left when I was a child... but that is a well known fact, what nobody knows is that I found her during college. I found her address in Toledo and went there during one weekend. I just wanted to know why she abandoned me. I guess I wanted to hear that she just couldn’t find me, that she loved me and missed me. I knew that was hardly that, as I stayed in the same god forsaken town my whole life, but it was much worse when she told that I was just a genetic mistake, never meant to happen.”

  
Betty’s eyes glisten with tears, she doesn’t understand how can somebody be so cruel to their own child and understands that Jughead must have some abandonment issues. He puts a strong indifferent mask on in order not to be hurt, but he needs to remove it to let her in.

  
She uncurls her palms and shows him pale crescent moon scars.

  
“I used to self harm. I have anxiety. I think I have had it since maybe twelve. You saw my family. I love my mother, but living to her standards and expectations can drive you to a wall sometimes. At first I had Polly, but then she moved out to live with Jason and was so busy with the babies... I just didn’t know how to cope with everything inside, I had to relieve the tension somehow. I don’t know if mother didn’t notice or purposefully chose to ignore it, maybe she just didn’t want to accept the fact that something wasn’t perfect in our family. I’m better now. I started therapy when I went to college and stopped digging my nails in. And I have meds for when I feel like I’m not coping by myself. But I never told it to anyone.”

  
He takes her hands carefully into his and squeezes them slightly.

  
“We are gonna be okay.” he tells her. And it’s a promise.

  
She smiles at him and squeezes his hands back. And she believes him. That they are gonna be okay. They are gonna be a real, imperfect family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are confused about Archie and Veronica. They are younger than Betty and Jughead.
> 
> You can find me on tumbrl as aam-loves


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding, living together, sexy times, pregnancy tests

The next morning goes as Alice and Kevin planned. Jughead and his wedding party consisting of Archie, Fred, Mary and a couple of his friends from college, Sweet Pea and Fangs, arrive slightly earlier. Betty won’t walk down the isle, as there is no such thing in the court house, but he and Archie will meet her and Veronica by the fountain in the park near the court house and the hired photographer will make photos so Alice could be happy with the wedding album later.

Jughead is wearing a fitted striped suit and no tie. He thinks Betty won’t be against it, but Alice will probably purse her lips with disapproval. The humid air near the fountain cools his flushed skin and calms him down a bit.

He hears Archie whisper “they are here” and turns his head.

Betty is a vision. She is wearing a wedding gown, but it seems not pompous and completely appropriate for their arrangement. It’s off shoulder, showing her delicate clavicles, with fitted lace top and puffy tulle skirt that ends just below her knees. Her hair curled more artificially that her natural waves and gathered partially, leaving soft curls framing her face and cascading along her neck. She has light makeup on that makes her vibrant green eyes even more prominent and magnifying.

Betty smiles seeing him, he looks so good in a suit.

She walks to him slowly.

“Hi” she says quietly.

“Hi... uh... this is for you”, he hands her a small bouquet of blush garden roses and mock orange flowers.

She brings it to her face, inhaling the flowers aroma, “They are beautiful”.

“Shall we go?” Jughead offers her his hand.

She takes it and they walk to the courthouse, Archie and Veronica behind them with knowing smiles.

There isn’t anything special in the ceremony, except the phrase “you may now kiss the bride” is excluded from it for obvious reasons. The authorities came to it about 7 years ago due to numerous awkward situations these words caused.

Betty seems happy and excited when Jughead puts a ring on her finger and they leave the courthouse smiling and holding hands.

The reception is held in a nice restaurant. Not too big or too pretentious, where food is served in normal size and there are no weird silverware that Jughead and his family don’t know the use of.

There are more people from Betty’s side, but not too much. So the whole reception consists of 25 people. Still, Betty’s family seems wealthy and high maintenance and Jughead can’t help but ask himself again how has he got to be here with her.

As if feeling his doubts and Betty takes his hand under the table and rubs the knuckles of his hand with her thumb. It dissolves his nerves. At least till the moment they arrive to their apartment.

They both know what they are expected to do. This is why this marriage happened after all. But it is not easy in the least. Yes, they are married, but they haven’t even kissed yet. They just started to get to know each other. They feel a bit closer after the previous evening, but that’s not enough.

Jughead sees Betty standing near their bed, fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. She is nervous and he doesn’t want to pressure her into anything, even if the thought of being intimate with his incredibly beautiful wife make him feel like he never did before with girls.

“We don’t have to do anything tonight.” he offers.

“You don’t want to?” she turns to his voice looking slightly worried.

Betty thinking that she is not desired is the least thing he wants to cross her mind.

“No, no! I just… I understand we just met and… this may be uncomfortable… so, we don’t have to do it tonight.”

“We have to pass the test in a week… and tonight is wedding night, I think it is the most perfect moment.”

He wants it to be special for her and maybe doing it tonight, like traditionally supposed, as if they met by themselves, fell in love and decided to get married, maybe it will bear some special meaning.

“ Yeah…okay” he smiles softly at her.

“Can we do it with the lights off?” she asks.

“Yes, sure.”

“Just… help me with the dress first, please.” she says and turns away from him, moving her hair from her neck.

He undoes what seems like fifty tiny buttons on the back of her dress and steps away.

“Thank you” Betty whispers and they go to their sides of the bed and undress with their backs to each other.

Jughead hears her switch off the lamp on the bedside table from her side and the sheets rustle as she slides under the blanket. He shads his underwear and does the same.

At first they just lay there silently, eyes adjusting to darkness so they can see the silhouettes of each other in the furniture in the room.

“Have you done it before?” Betty breaks the silence

“Yeah, a couple of times in college. Wanted to know what was all the fuss about. You?”

“Same.”

He releases a long breath. This is extremely awkward. They haven’t even kissed and he knows a girl can’t be ready for sex from just lying and talking.

“I…I have some…uh…things, I don’t know how do you call it. For it to go smoother.” Jughead says.

“Oh…”

“Yeah… Do we need them?”

“I think we may try” Betty whispers.

“Shall I…?” Jughead doesn’t want to rush her into it, but this lying and waiting unnerves him.

Betty takes a deep breath, gathering some courage, “Yeah… yes”.

Jughead fishes out a lubricant that Archie told him to buy from his bedside table and spreads it along his length. It helps to make him hard and will help to make their contact more smooth. Thank god they invented those things and he doesn’t need to take Viagra, though he thinks he wouldn’t need it if he could see Betty naked, but maybe they will come to it. He hopes so.

“You ready?” he asks.

“Yes” she answers in barely a whisper and shuffles closer to the middle of the bed, so it would be more comfortable.

Jughead moves between he spread legs and holds himself above her on his elbows.

“Okay” he whispers looking into her eyes, glistening with little light that comes from the street lights through the curtains.

“Okay” she repeats.

He guides himself to her entrance and sinks in slowly. They both close their eyes and he hears he gasp and then, when he is buried to the hilt, release a breath.

He lets her get used to the feeling. She understands that her husband is quiet well endowed in that department, bigger than her previous partner. It takes a moment to adjust to his length and then she whispers “You can move”.

Betty can’t say it isn’t pleasurable. But it just doesn’t feel like it should feel. They doesn’t touch each other, doesn’t kiss or whisper sweet nothings to each other, they can’t find their rhythm and she doesn’t come.

They take turns in the bathroom to clean up after that and go to sleep in their pyjamas.

The bed is big, so there is a lot of space between them, but the presence of another person is still felt. It’s strange but not uncomfortable.

In the morning Jughead wakes up to an empty bed and smell of breakfast. Wandering to the kitchen area he finds Betty in leggings, loose t-shirt and hair in bun, stacking the last pancake on a plate. There are eggs, bacon, fruit and different kinds of toppings on the isle and fresh coffee in a pot.

“Wow… seems like I woke up to a dream” he mumbles, mouth filling with saliva from all the tasty smells.

Betty turns to him, smiling brightly, “You are just in time!”, then she glances on the isle, “I didn’t know what you prefer, so I thought you can’t go wrong with pancakes.”

“This is perfect”, Jughead assures her with a smile, which is a miracle of itself. Seems like his wife can pull a smile from him even before the fist cup of coffee.

They eat, talking about their plans for the day. Lingering awkwardness from their night together still can be seen in some pauses and movements, but doesn’t burden them too much. They busy themselves with unpacking what was left of their things and watch a movie in the evening.

Then the week starts and they go to their respective works. Living together goes easy for them. Betty received a job in a nice new magazine that writes about politics and global problems, with a modern sight to it. They talk about the case she has for her first article during dinner and Jughead tells her about the book is editing now, and then they talk about everything else. They spend their evenings watching movies or reading together and Betty really enjoys Jughead’s commentary on the movies they watch.

Betty brings intimacy up on the fourth night of their living together. It’s a little less awkward than the first time, but still not great.

In the end of the week they go to the bureau to take the test and after the clerk gets the results confirming the marriage was consummated, he dismisses them saying that they would probably have many beautiful babies. Jughead thinks that is not very appropriate and is not comfortable with everybody making a big deal of their hormonal compatibility. It makes him feel like their marriage is some act of coupling for breeding and he it is much more to him. He and Betty have personalities and he really likes hers.

They take a walk in a park after that and have sex again in the evening.

They fall into a comfortable routine, breaking it by taking walks, going out for coffee and grocery shopping together. 

Betty feels like they are becoming really good friends and partners. Life with Jughead is gonna be great. She feels calm and safe with him. He also makes her laugh and makes her feel cherished. She got lucky in this matching. But their sex life, though became less awkward and more smooth, still fails to bring pleasure as it supposed to be. Or she must have read too many romance books, imposing false expectations on young girls, Betty thinks.

Betty takes the first pregnancy test in the end of the third week of their living together. It turns negative.

She doesn’t know why she feels like she failed something, it’s not that she desperately wanted a baby, but she still does and Jughead can see it.

He feels like he let her down, so he hugs and she snakes her arms around his waist, tucking her head under his chin.

It’s the first time they are so close aside of their poor attempts at sex and it feels sensational. It feels like they are so much closer like this. Jughead is warm a solid and she calms down momentarily.

He holds her for some time, relishing in the feeling , then murmur into her hair, “We are gonna make the most amazing baby, you don’t need to worry about that”, and kisses the top of her head.

Betty feels like warmth spreads through her body from the top of her head and squeezes his body. And she believes him.

This marks the beginning of deeper feelings blossoming between them.

There are casual touches during days, hand holding during their walks, Jughead starts occasionally pecking the top of her head or her forehead when leaving for work or returning from it.

Betty thinks they almost feel like a real family.

But her anxiety took a toll on her. All the expectations from her family and bureau wrecked her head and Betty focused on making a baby, making it her goal.

She makes a timetable of having sex. Every other day during regular time and every day during her ovulation period.

It goes that way for another 3 weeks.

It doesn’t feel right for Jughead, but he is ready to support her and give her everything she wants. Except orgasms, apparently.

It’s not like he hasn’t noticed that it’s not ideal in bed with them, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience and he doesn’t feel like asking anybody for help. Although, with Betty’s new obsession with getting pregnant he might as well make it enjoyable for her too, not only for him. He knows it can be better, at least he supposes so, and he hopes they will come to this sooner than later.

She takes tests every week and after the third negative test he can’t bear to look at her sombre face anymore.

On Sunday he wakes earlier, showers and changes into jeans a nice shirt (yes, Betty played some role changing his wardrobe). When he returns to the bedroom Betty just starts waking up and his gaze lingers on her stretching body. Her golden hair glow in the sunlight and he can’t help but thing that he married an angel once again.

“G’morning”, she says noticing him, voice heavy from sleep.

“Morning”, he replies softly, sitting on the edge of the mattress, “Hey, are you up for a day out?”

“What do you have in mind?” she perks with interest.

“Hmmmm… breakfast at this bagel place you love, walk in a park, I may have heard something about food trucks fair. Finish the day in the movies? How does this sound?” he asks

“Sounds amazing” she sighs with a smile.

“Then shower, dress up and we can go” he pecks her forehead and walks out of the bedroom.

They spend the day going through Jughead’s plan. It’s amazing. They eat and laugh and ask another couple to take a picture of them in the park. They stand near the pond, Jughead leaning in a bit closer and holding her by the waist and she puts both her hand around his body. Wind fans her hair and white summer dress. Betty likes it and can already picture it in the frame. She forgets about everything bothering her and just enjoys the perfect weekend with her husband.

When they are walking home after movies in the theatre and Jughead stops at the flower stand to buy her a bouquet of lilies, she leans in and kisses him right there on a street sidewalk in the setting sun.

And when they kiss again, softly, before saying “Good night”, Jughead knows that he loves her, he just won’t say it to her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, they'll work out their way in bed soon ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's talk about sex

The kiss sparks their relationship. At first they both are a bit awkward the morning after, but the awkwardness dissipates rather quickly. The kiss must have emboldened them a little. Jughead touches her more. Hand brushing her lower back when he passes by, squeezing her shoulder and massaging the juncture of her neck when they are saying their goodbyes and he tries to calm down her anxiety about a new assignment at work, she then raises on her toes, frames his face in her palms and kisses him goodbye. He doesn’t want to break the kiss, he wants to stay there forever enjoying the feeling of her soft lips moving against his. But they both have to go working.

They cuddle while watching movies in the evening and he is rubbing he arm that she has thrown around his waist. She sighs with content and he buries his face in her hair inhaling deeply the aroma that is a mix of her coconut shampoo, flowery perfume and something uniquely her. She raises her head to look in his eyes.

“This is nice” she whispers and he understands she means the new level of their intimacy.

“Yeah” he whispers in response and lowers his lips to hers. One peck and he withdraws, but she leans in for more. They kiss softly for some time and return to the movies.

Jughead desperately wants to know how this new aspect of their relationship will affect the other meaningful part of it, but of course it is just this time of the month so when they go bed he just wills himself to sleep.

They spend the next day somewhat the same, except when they go to bed Betty asks him to rub her back and then they cuddle while sleeping.

Waking up in Jughead’s arms is a new experience. And it’s so warm and nice Betty doesn’t want to get up from bed. So she cuddles a little closer claiming fifteen more minutes of sleep won’t hurt and sighs happily when he squeezes her in response.

Fifteen minutes pass and Jughead’s alarm brings them out of their sweet slumber. He turns to silence it and then returns to cuddling.

“Mmmmm…. morning” Betty mumbles against his chest.

“Good morning” he answers and leans back a bit to look at her. He wonders again at her natural beauty lighten up by morning sunlight.

His gaze is full of adoration and Betty blushes under it, but instead of tugging a blanket to cover herself or getting out of bed as she would have done before, she leans in to kiss him.

It’s a sweet kiss, but it’s not short as it was before and not so soft. She brings her hands around his neck and he squeezes her waist.

Jughead’s hands slip under her camisole and the feeling of her bare skin spurts him on. He deepens the kiss and Betty shivers and responds eagerly. Her hand tangles into hair at the nape of his neck, scratching slightly and one of his hands slip lower, brushing her bum and settling on her thigh. He caresses her thigh and tugs it over his hip and she lets out a quiet little moan, which is enough to slip his inside her mouth. He is afraid he is going too far, but she doesn’t show any unwillingness and only tugs him closer.

It’s so good and hot and it was never like that before, but it’s all ruined by his second alarm.

It rings unexpectedly and Betty springs away from him in surprise.

“Fuck…” he curses quietly.

“We have to go to work” Betty says, steadying her breath.

“Yeah…yes” he murmurs trying to calm himself down and realizing something started happing inside his sleep pants while they were making out.

“That was… wow” Betty breathes and he finally turns to look at her. Her skin is flushed and lips swollen and he just wants her, but he is afraid he has done something wrong anyway.

“We can… we can try it again maybe?” she asks

“We definitely can” he says and she grins.

“Okay then…I’ll go shower, can you set the coffee machine meanwhile?”

And they proceed into their daily routine, than now include sweet kisses and lingering touches.

They both return from work anticipating what is waiting them when they will go to bed this night. They go through their evening exchanging shy, but promising smiles.

When it’s time for bed they turn the light off, but don’t shed their clothes as usual. As if reading each other’s mind they stay in their underwear and go under covers.

They meet in the middle of their bed and Jughead instantly leans in, connecting their lips. His hands go to Betty’s waist again, her skin is soft and he doesn’t want to ever take his hands off her.

Betty embraces his shoulders and leans closer deepening the kiss and he rolls them a bit, leaning on one arm and hovering above her with his other hand going down, brushing her hip and caressing her thigh.

Jughead is almost embarrassed at how quickly he becomes excited. It seems all he needs are Betty’s kisses, her bare skin and the feeling of her lacy underwear.

“Betty” he breathes against her mouth and she uses the opportunity to tangle their tongues.

She moans into his mouth and he realises it’s something different from her usual soft breaths during sex. As the kiss becomes even more heated Betty realises that Jughead is moving gently against her and something stiff is rubbing against her thigh.

“Betts” he tries again.

“Yeah?”

“You wanna to….uh…”

“Yeah, yes” she really wants to.

“Let me just” he reaches to his bedside drawer and Betty holds his hand.

“I think we don’t need it anymore” she says softly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” she smiles and he somehow knows it, even if he can’t really see her face in the dark, “I think I’m ready”

“Me too” he breathes and they shed their underwear hurriedly.

It’s so nice to enter her without extra movements of getting himself ready and he feels a bit smug that he got her to the point too. At least they have this figured out now and he won’t be embarrassed of not turning on his wife anymore.

He starts moving inside her easily falling in their usual rythm, trying not to rush to release. Betty tugs him closer so he feels her soft pants against his lips and they kiss.

He must say kissing during sex makes it different. Like, more special. He feels closer to Betty, more connected to her, more in tune. It’s all too much, he speeds their movements and she’s almost there, but he can’t hold it anymore, being so turned on first time in his life. He shudders above her and stills.

“Shit… sorry” he can’t help saying, though usually they clean up silently. But he feels closer to her now, they’ve been living together for almost two months and she just gets him. They talked a lot and confided in each other and shared a bed. He wants to be sincere and honest with her and that’s how he feels at that moment.

“It’s okay” she whispers, regaining her breath.

He pulls out and plumps onto his side of bed, “No it’s not, Betty! It’s not okay that I can’t give my wife an orgasm”, he snaps dragging his hands down his face.

“We will get to it, Jug. You don’t have to worry. It feels really nice” she tries to reason.

“Yeah…nice” he sighs and she goes to the bathroom.

When they are cleaned up and both in bed again, getting ready to sleep, Jughead lays for some time, then sighs and shuffles closer to where she is curled on her side of bed,facing the wall. He hugs her from behind and squeezes.

“Sorry” he mumbles into her hair, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“It’s fine, Jug”

“Betts…” he sighs again, “I might be not very experienced in bed, but I can notice that you didn’t… even once. And I understand that it’s my fault and I…”

“Don’t rush to blame yourself” she interrupts him and turns in his arms to face him, “What is the saying? It takes two to tango? I think we can apply it here too.”

“Betty… don’t even think you are doing something wrong, you are absolutely amazing and I’m incredibly lucky and happy to be your husband.”

“We will figure it out. We are already better than before and I’m sure it will be even better soon”, Betty says softly, raising her hand to swipe wild curls from his forehead.

“Okay…okay” he agrees, not really eager to argue with her any longer.

He rolls on his back and she cuddles closer to him, laying her head onto his chest and hugging his torso.

“Good night, Juggie” she murmurs.

“Juggie…?” he asks, smiling, “I like it”

.

The next morning Betty almost chokes on her orange juice when Jughead emerges from the bathroom in nothing but towel wrapped around his hips.

She can’t help but drag her eyes down his toned torso to the trail of dark hairs that disappears in the towel with the prominent V of his hipbones. She blinks and snaps her eyes back to his face.

“Sorry, forgot the clothes in the room” he says and blushes.

Blushes? God, why does he blush? They just had sex the night before and now he is… He disappears into their bedroom and Betty realizes it’s the first time she has seen her husband’s bare torso, despite the fact that they’ve been having sex for almost two months already. Sex with the lights turned off. But he has a nice chest and strong arms, and that alluring happy trail…she frowns and just then becomes distracted with her phone ringing.

When she finishes the call Jughead is already at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee and a plate that Betty fixed him for breakfast. Fully dressed.

“Cheryl called”, she explains, “She is in the city today for some business issues and she wants to have a drink. I invited her to have one here in the evening, you don’t mind?”

“No, of course not. We’ve never had anybody over since we moved in.”

“Will you join us?” Betty asks

“Uh… I can’t promise that. I have a lot to edit and the deadline is tonight, so I might have to stay late or take some work home.” he says rubbing his neck.

“Oh…okay”

He sees she is a bit disappointed, but she is trying not to show it. He takes a couple of steps in her direction and settles his hands on her waist.

“I’ll do my best to finish it as soon as possible and be home early” he says with a smile, “and then we will have a whole weekend together and we will do whatever you want, ok?”

“Okay” she whispers and smiles in return.

“Thank you for breakfast, amazing as always. Now, I have to run” Jughead says, kisses her and turns to leave.

.

Sometime during first half of the day Jughead receives a message from Archie and feels guilty that he hasn’t had a decent conversation with his best friend since the wedding.

At lunch Jughead buys a sandwich and coffee at the nearest café and goes to eat it in solitude in the park across the street from his office. He inhales the food quickly and decides to call Archie to pass the remaining time.

_“Hey, Jug”_ Archie answers on the second call

“Hey, buddy. How are you?”

_“Enjoying my last free summer”_ Archie chuckles on the other side, _“How is married life?”_

“It’s good… good.”

_“Have you made a little one yet?”_

“Arch, that’s… no, not that it should concern you”

_“Well at least you can enjoy in the process”_

“Uh…yeah” Jughead swallows forcefully

_“Jug?... You do actually do it, right?”_

“Of course we do it, it’s just…” he can’t believe he is discussing his sex life.

_“Just what?”_

“Ugh ,never have I ever imagined talking about it with you, but I think I’m enjoying it more that Betty”

_“Like… you can’t get het going?”_

“No, that is not the problem” he is not going to embarrass himself more by saying they got to it just last night, “she doesn’t…”

_“Come?”_

“Arch, no need to be so gross!”

_“But that’s the word! So… this is the problem?”_

“Yeah”

_“Have you tried going down on her?”_

Jughead’s face goes red even though nobody can hear their conversation, “Uh…no?”

_“Dude! What the hell? That’s the rule!”_

“What rule?”

_“If you are not sure that you can satisfy your girl during the act you should do it before it. With your mouth or fingers.”_

“I… I don’t think I know how to do it either.”

_“Jesus, Jug. Just ask her what she likes. Google the basics. Find that right spot and everything will be ok. She is already your wife, you can be not afraid that she will dump you because of poor act.”_

“You say like it’s easy” Jughead grumbles into the phone.

_“I believe in you bro. Damn… I didn’t think you were such a boy.”_

“Oh, enough with it.”

_“I miss you. House is a bit empty here without you.”_

“Yeah, I miss you too… Hey, it’s the last week of summer, maybe you should come visit before returning to college?”

_“That would be great! Next Friday?”_

“Yeah. I’ll check with you later, okay? Have to go, my lunch break is almost over.”

.

**I’m finishing, be home in an hour.**

Betty reads the message while pouring two glasses of wine.

She takes them and goes to the living room where Cheryl is sitting on the sofa.

“So, judging that you can still drink wine, I guess Mr. dark and moody haven’t put his baby inside you yet.” Cheryl drawls accepting her glass.

“Your guess is right” Betty sighs, “I don’t know why, really.”

Betty has always felt comfortable talking to Cheryl. She might be scary and bitchy, but she is fiercely protective and loves her family. And they are family. Betty didn’t judge her for her choice of lover and Cheryl wasn’t as uptight as the rest of their families. They bonded over rolling eyes at family events and cooing over Polly and Jason’s twins. Everyone still wondered about their odd friendship, but left them alone at some point.

“Everyone keeps talking about incredibly high level of our compatibly and I feel like a failure” Betty continues, “And I don’t even know why. We have sex every other day and every day when I’m ovulating. And he-“

“Let me stop you here”, Cheryl interrupts putting her hand out in a stopping gesture, “Don’t tell me you actually scheduled sex with your husband?”

Betty flushes with embarrassment, “I might have done that…”

“Doesn’t he want you otherwise?” Cheryl raises an eyebrow.

Betty blushes deeper, “Uh… It doesn’t seem an issue as of recently.”

“Recently?”

“We…uh…we may have struggled a bit with this part of our relationship”

At that Cheryl raises both her eyebrows

“I mean… it happened, regularly, but seemed strained.”

Cheryl tilts her head to the side, searching Betty’s face. She knows her friend pretty good and can guess what is the issue here.

“Betty, dear….” Cheryl sighs, “You do know that sex is much more that the process of reproduction, don’t you?”

“Of course I know it!” Betty scrambles to defend herself.

“Then tell me you don’t have scheduled sex under covers and lights off in missionary position with your husband as I know Alice Cooper ingrained in your brain under the disguise of dutiful wife behaviour.”

Betty doesn’t know what to say to that and just keeps her eyes on her glass. She hears Cheryl sigh deeply.

“Betty, do you at least like him?”

At that Betty jerks her head up, “Of course! Juggie is great! I like him very much. He is great as a person, he does nice things for me, and I’m comfortable with him. And he is handsome! And….and hot!”

She blushes deep crimson again, but now Cheryl is smiling, seemingly pleased.

“Then it’s not a dead case. We just need to expand your horizons.” Cheryl says with a glint in her eyes.

When Jughead comes home a bit later Betty has already received a thorough lecture on the importance of visual part of sexual activities, sexy lingerie, encouraging and stimulating her partner and the art of blowjob. (Betty was surprised to hear about the last considering Cheryl’s choice of lover).

Cheryl doesn’t stay long after Jughead arrives home. They exchange brief pleasantries in their both natural sarcastic remarks and Cheryl leaves with a wink.

Betty serves Jughead dinner and they go through their usual evening routine, but the air seems strained with worry and anticipation.

After showering and while Betty is taking her turn, relaxing in a bath, Jughead actually does a quick research on oral sex through his phone. He feels like a teenager before his first time, when he is a married grown up man with a degree a job.

Betty takes a bath to relax a bit, she takes extra time shaving and massaging her skin with her favourite lotion. She’s chosen one of her sexier nightwear, that Veronica persuaded her to buy before marriage. It is a camisole on tiny straps showing a generous amount of cleavage and little shorts in deep blue colour with lace trim. She stands looking in the mirror, then fluffs her hair and goes to the bedroom.

When Jughead hears her enter the bedroom he shuts the phone off and puts it on his bedside table, then turns and his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Betty is stunning in her sexy pyjamas.

She gets into the bed and moves a bit closer to the middle, but doesn’t turn off her bedside lamp. Jughead leaves his light on too and moves closer to the middle as well, tuning on his side to look at Betty.

She notices him looking and turns and smiles at him. Jughead moves his hand to her shoulder and catches a tine strap pf her top between his fingers. He moves his fingers up and down along the strap, brushing her skin and studying her face, tracing his eyes lower. Betty takes shallow breaths, anticipating what he will do next.

“Betts, I know today is not a day, but I want to try something…” Jughead says lowly.

Betty nearly cringes hearing it, Cheryl was right and Jughead thinks their sex happens according to her schedule.

“Juggie, you don’t need to ask…” she whispers and moves to connect their lips.

They start soft as usually, but the kiss becomes heated quickly. Betty moves her hand under Jughead’s shirt, feeling his stomach. His skin is hot and she can feel taught muscles contracting under the tips of her fingers. She tugs the shirt off him, breaking their kiss briefly and when Jughead returns, he rolls them slightly, so he is hovering above her, one of his legs between hers.

Jughead lets his instinct guide him and moves his lips down her neck, he finds her pulse and sucks there, moving the straps of her top off her shoulders. She lets out a gasp and then moans softly and Jughead can’t stop marvelling at the feeling of her bare skin.

He kisses her collarbones and Betty buries her hands in his hair, scraping his scalp. He brings his shaking hand to her breast, but is hesitant to touch and she arches her back, pressing herself into his hands. He exhales and cups her mound, squeezing softly, but she is still wearing her top and it’s not enough.

Jughead tugs at her top and she scrambles to help him, then their lips connect again and his hands move back to her breasts. He massages them gently, gasping shuddering breaths against her mouth and her soft moans make him so eager that he can’t wait more and moves lower to tug at her tiny shorts.

Betty moves her hands all over his torso and he is so worked up from their making out that he is sure he will collapse with her first touch at his lower half. So he leans back a bit, sitting on shins between her legs. Betty’s chest moves with deep breaths, her skin flushed and lips swollen. When she realizes he is watching her, she makes attempt to cover herself, but he catches her arms.

“Don’t…I wanna see you. You are so beautiful…”

His eyes are dark with desire and she can see pure want in his gaze. And it’s nice, to feel wanted, desired, to feel sexy. Her arms fall at her sides and his move to the waistband of her shorts again, tugging at them slightly and Betty raises her hips to help him. She isn’t wearing any underwear.

Betty expects him to rid of his pyjama pants and lay over her, but Jughead began to lower himself between her legs.

“Juggie, what…?” she asks. His face is inches away from her core and her eyes widen and legs instinctively move to close.

He holds her thighs open, “I wanna try something…. let me?”

Betty blushes deep red and gnaws on her lower lip. No one has ever done this for her and she feels nervous and unprepared, but she doesn’t want to refuse him. What if he feels rejected and doesn’t want to proceed further? And it felt so good tonight so far. So she nods hesitantly staring at him with wide eyes.

“I’ve never done this before, so you’ll have to help me, okay?” he is nervous too. The internet research didn’t give him a lot of useful information, everything described there seemed too mechanical, so he relies on his instincts at that point and hopes Betty will say if anything is wrong.

“Okay” Betty breathes softly.

Jughead doesn’t wait anymore in order not to lose courage and dips his head between her legs.

With first soft tentative lick along her slit he discovers and she is wet and feels giddy again. He hears Betty gasp and starts exploring her core with his tongue. He tries to listen to the sounds she makes and pays attention to her moves to understand what she likes more. She lets a low moan when he finds hard little nub and shifts her hips closer to his face. When he wraps his lips around it and she moans again and brings one of her hands to his head, tangling her fingers into his hair. He raises her eyes to look at her and sees her head thrown back, the other hand clutching the sheet tightly, chest heaving.

He remembers something from his internet research and brings his finger to her slit, tracing it and then dipping inside her. Her walls wrap immediately tightly around his finger and she moans louder.

“Feels good?” Jughead asks in raspy voice

“So good…”Betty moans and he dips back into her folds.

He licks and starts thrusting his finger, her moans and gasps become more frequents. She starts canting her hips and tightens her hand in his hair. Then he sucks oh her little sensitive bud and she cries and shudders with her whole body. Hips trembling around his head. He licks her through her orgasm, not believing that he actually finally did it and impossibly happy about it, until she pushes him off lightly.

Betty lays trying to regain her breath in total bliss. She can’t believe she was nervous about Jughead going down on her when it felt so good. She sees him moving to the side off her.

“What are you doing?”

“I….” he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and she flushes, lowers her eyes and sees a tent in his sleep pants. Something coils in the pit of her stomach and she realizes she wants more, even though she just had an orgasm.

“I still want you” she decides to be old after what Jughead has done for her. If he can put his mouth between her legs, she at least can tell him she wants him and not let him go to sleep unsatisfied.

She grabs his hand and tugs him over herself again.

“I want you inside me” she whispers tugging at the waistband of his pants.

“I’m not going to last, I… I guess I got too excited” he murmurs helping her to free himself of his pants.

“We’ll work on that later, now I just want you inside” Betty tells him. Her desire seems to swallow her hesitant and modest self.

“Fuck…” he breathes, sinking into her. She is so wet, like she’s never been before. He tries to go slow, to prolong it for her, but Betty rolls her hips to meet his thrusts and wraps her legs around him, encouraging him to go deeper, faster. All of that combined with her moans make him shudder and release into her faster than usually.

“Wow…” he hears he sigh while he is still laying over her.

He slips out of her and raises with a grunt. She has a dazed expression on her face and a blissed happy smile. He plumps on the bed beside her and they lay looking happily into each other’s eyes.

“It was so good” Betty says in barely a whisper

“It will get only better” he is sure of it now

“Yeah… it will” she agrees and there is something different in her smile, something coy and something else, he can’t really understand what. But it doesn’t matter right now. Right now he cradles her into his arms, dazed, tired, but happy, and falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come find me on tumblr as aam-loves


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter full of smut. Consider yourself warned.

It seems everything they want to do over their weekend together is have more sex.

Betty wakes up with her back against Jughead’s chest and tries to snuggle more into him when she feels something firm against her lower back and hears Jughead hiss. She turns in his arms and he cracks his eyes slightly open, still half asleep. Their “good morning” kiss turns into a make out session and just as Jughead starts massaging her breast, Betty braves herself to slip her hand hesitantly past his boxers.

Jughead gasps and pulls away for a moment.

“Betts” he breathes.

She wraps her hand around his length, kissing along his jawline.

“Betts, please, stop” he pleads, breathing heavily.

At that she startles , “Why? You don’t like it?”

“No, no, no…” Jughead rushes to reassure her, “in fact I like it so much, that I’m afraid it’ll be everything I need to finish”.

A sly smile emerges on her face and then she tightens her hold on him. She kisses his jaw and drags her lips to his ear.

“Tell me what to do, what you like” she whispers and he shudders when she nips his earlobe slightly. _When has she become such a seductress?_

“Just…just move your hand… up and down- yeah, like that…”

Jughead dips his head to connect their lips again and they kiss for some time, while Betty strokes him with a steady pace.

“A bit faster” he breathes against her lips, breaking the kiss just for a moment.

She picks up the pace, twisting her little fist, her elegant fingers holding his length tightly. His hands find her breasts again and he all but gropes them.

She moans into his mouth when he brushes her nipples with his thumbs and this is his undoing.

“Betty…” he manages to gasp and spills over her hand.

His body goes limp with satisfaction while she slows the movement of her hand.

Jughead opens his eyes and smiles lazily at her, then looks down.

“Shit…I made a mess” he sighs.

Betty just smiles at him, pecks his lips and goes to the bathroom to wash her hand.

Jughead cleans up with some paper napkins they keep in the bedroom, considering he can freshen up in the shower later.

When Betty doesn’t return to bed he goes to check up on her. At first he thinks just to listen if the shower is going, but the door is cracked open and he sees that she has already washed up and is applying her skincare.

He pushes the door open, entering the bathroom and coming to stand behind her.

“What do you think you are doing?” he asks, settling his hands on her hips.

She meets his eyes in the mirror, “Getting ready for the day?”

He lowers his head to speak directly into her ear, “Did you think that you can do nice things for me and just go away?”

“I…” Betty starts, but interrupts when Jughead spins her around and pushes onto the counter.

“Juggie, what are you doing?” her eyes widen a bit when he kneels between her legs.

“You made me feel good, very good, and I’m gonna make you feel good too” Jughead says, eager and giddy from his newfound ability to bring his wife orgasms.

She bites her lip when he starts sliding her panties down her legs. Yes, they’ve done it the previous night, but the lights were dimmed and the bathroom is brightly lit. She feels a bit exposed and blushes at the thought of him seeing her like this. It all goes to nothing when Jughead kisses her inner thigh and then makes first lick against her core.

He groans feeling how wet she still is from the handjob she gave him in the bed.

“Fuck. Did getting me off turn you on?” he asks.

She blushes more, but admits, because yes, she actually liked pleasuring him, “Yeah…”

He dips his tongue back, sliding through her folds and flicking against her clit. She moans when his tongue hits her little bundle of nerves and throws her head back.

He pushes one of her legs on his shoulder, opening her more to him and starts licking and sucking on her.

She is breathing heavily and feels so close when she dares to look down at him. Her hips move against his face as if on their own, the sight of him between her legs, his hands stroking her thighs, is absolutely sinful. She feels a bit dirty, but oh so good, that she mentally throws her Good girl book into fire and pushes one on her hands into his luscious locks.

He opens his eyes and raises them to connect with hers. His eyes are blown wide with desire and his gaze is so intense that she shudders with release when he sucks on her clit, still keeping the eye contact.

In her blissed out haze Betty hears water running and blinks, turning her head and seeing Jughead starting his morning routine. She realizes then that she is still sitting on the counter in nothing but her camisole, hops off it and goes into shower. Guess she’ll have to reapply her skincare.

They decide to have breakfast in their favourite coffee shop and take a walk through the park after it. They talk and hold hands all the time and Betty feels so happy. It seems silly to be so happy over having good sex, but it’s not just it. It’s the level of their connection that makes her happy. Yesterday it felt like they shifted some of their barriers, stepped out of their comfort zones a little bit and it helped them make a breakthrough in the physical aspect of their intimacy. Because emotionally, she is bare before him. She’s never hidden anything from him since the night before their wedding. They talked through her anxiety over new job and his too, she tried to distract him when he started missing home at first time and they talked more about their families and what they want for themselves. The only aspect they didn’t talk about was their sex life and now that they started talking, it started getting better and better.

On the way home after the walk they decide to do some grocery shopping and prepare dinner together. Walking by magazine stands Betty halts her movement and after some examination grabs a handful of some womanly magazines that she has never bought or read before, but they usually contain some articles on sex, which are probably half-true, but she feels like such and amateur in this division, that they could probably actually help her. Jughead raises his eyebrows and looks at her with an amused smile seeing the magazines at the checkout, she just shrugs and he comments nothing.

They prepare and eat dinner together and indulge into some heavy makeout session with grinding and groping until Jughead’s phone rings, distracting him with a call from work. He has to do some quick but urgent corrections in one of his last edits and send it back as soon as possible. While he is busy Betty decides to look through the magazines she bought and actually finds a couple of seemingly useful articles, one about positions and one titled “15 surprising reasons you’re not having an orgasm”.

When they are in bed again, clothes gone, Jughead hovers over her, but she pushes him away slightly.

“I want to try something I’ve read” she says at his confused expression and moves to straddle his thighs.

“In that magazine?” he raises his eyebrows, his tone indicating he doesn’t trust anything they write in there.

“Worth a try” Betty shrugs and takes him in her hand raising her hips.

“Yeah, anything you want” Jughead replies, breath hitching as soon as her delicate fingers wrap around his hard length.

Betty positions him at her entrance and starts sinking slowly.

_Fuck, why haven’t they bought that stupid magazine earlier,_ is all Jughead can think at the moment. He can see Betty in all her glory in this position. His beautiful naked wife on top of him, her skin flushed from their foreplay all the way down to her round, perfect bouncy breasts. Her stomach tenses a bit as she goes lower and he can see how she envelopes him in her heat.

“Oh God…” she moans when he is all the way in. He feels so much deeper that way and she needs a moment to get used to the feeling.

Jughead watches with bated breath how Betty takes a couple of slow breaths and then she starts rolling her hips….

“Fuck…” his hands fly to her hips, helping her move and hers are on his chest to steady herself.

He can’t tear his eyes off the place where they connect. He is hypnotized by the pace of her movements and the look of him repeatedly sinking into her and unconsciously helps her quicken the pace with his hands.

“Juggie” she gasps and he raises his eyes to meet hers.

Her brows are furrowed and she bites her lower lip and the look in her eyes is so intense. He tangles one of his hands in the blonde waves at the nape of her neck and tugs her to connect their lips. Their kiss is deep and sensual and Jughead starts thrusting his hips up, meeting her movements.

Betty leans on her forearms and pushes her fingers into Jughead’s dark locks. This position is definitely good for them and she is so close, but needs a bit more, more of something, of everything. When Jughead brings her down to him and starts moving with her they are so close. Her clit rubbing on his pelvis, tongues entangled in a sensual kiss, his steady pace inside her. It all merges into the feeling so overwhelming, she can’t help but cry out when she explodes, her body tingling and shuddering atop Jughead’s. And he tumbles over the edge with her, not able to bear her squeezing him so tight and her looking so beautiful in her ecstasy.

They continue to explore this new side of their relationships well into the workweek and Jughead even reads those womanly magazines (and finds something useful, but he will never admit it).

It becomes better and better with each time and they only want more and more.

They now see each other not only as friends and life partners with a shared purpose of procreating, but as incredibly attractive people. It seems Betty invokes desire in him whatever she is doing. Once he comes home from work and Betty is speaking on the phone in the kitchen. She is still in her work clothes too, tight pencil skirt and airy blouse, which she is unbuttoning as she is speaking. Her skin under the blouse is dewy because of late summer heatwave, beads of sweat glistening between her breasts as she reveals her white lacy bra. Jughead bends her over the counter while she is still on the phone and she manages to finish the call the moment he raises her skirt. He feels like a horny teenager, but in his twenties. The stage he clearly skipped in high school now brought to life and fulfilled by his wife. He is not ashamed a bit and Betty has yet to complain.

When Archie comes to visit them during the weekend he doesn’t need to ask if they worked their issues in bed out, he just raises his brows and smirks knowingly at Jughead when they meet in the kitchen the morning after Archie arrived. They just couldn’t help themselves.

As time goes well into autumn they still enjoy their newlyweds haze, that caught up on them later, but still is amazing. And as every amazing fairytale, theirs has to meet its turning point. 

The first rock hits them at the party. They were invited to some bar to celebrate a release of one of the books Jughead was editing. There are a lot of strangers and they agree on leaving as soon as it will be polite. The bar is actually nice and the book is good. It happens after Betty leaves for the bathroom. Upon her return she sees her husband at the bar talking to some brunette in the vulgar red dress, spilling her boobs into his face. She puts her hand on his forearm, resting on the bar and bats her lashes at him, while oblivious Jughead continues talking.

A hot wave of jealousy washes over Betty. A foreign and unpleasant feeling making her blood boil and possessiveness awake inside her. She stands in place not knowing what to do. Should she storm there and dump that trollop’s drink into her face? Should she be angry with Jughead? Should she be angry with herself? And that is when jealousy tugs and her insecurities, that Jughead has been painstakingly burying to the depths of her minds with his generous lovemaking and compliments, resurface. But is it all true or are those just the words said in the throes of passion?

_Oh, no, we will not go there Betty, we will go up to Jughead and prove him that these are not just words so he won’t be able even to think of another woman._

Betty smoothes out her dress, elegant and complimenting her figure, but much more modest than that brunette’s, and walks slowly but confidently to the bar. She approaches Jughead with a polite smile and takes him under his arm, facing the other woman.

The brunette raises her eyebrows at Betty not taking her hand off Jughead’s arm.

Jughead notices the change in the face of the woman he was talking to, then moves his eyes to Betty. Her face is split with the most fake smile and her eyes are burning with rage. He then feels something on his arm and it finally dawns on him. He pulls his arm back as if burned and circles Betty’s waist with his other hand.

“Betty, this is…uh, sorry, what is your name?” Jughead begins.

The brunette’s face falls.

“Brittany”

“Ah, right. Brittany, this is my wife, Betty” he introduces.

Betty fixes her fake-polite smile and greets the other woman sweetly, “It’s nice to meet you, Brittany.”

“How long have you been married?” Brittany doesn’t give up. Betty understands the reason, the marriages are arranged, it’s easy to lure one person to the side, she has seen this happening with her own eyes.

“Three months” Betty replies in that same sweet polite tone.

The brunette’s eyes seem to glint at this information, the hope reviving in them, “Not pregnant yet?”

_Ohhh you go for the wrong woman’s man._

“Not yet, but we get to enjoy the process even more. We try **hard** , really want that baby.” Betty says smugly, looking how the Brittany’s eyes widen.

Jughead chokes on his drink a bit, hearing Betty’s words, but he understands what she is doing and wants to get rid of clingy woman himself.

“Can’t complain about that” he says smiling and tugging Betty even closer by her waist.

The woman finally leaves them after that

“Uhhh that bitch” he hears Betty mutter under her breath.

“Shit, Betty, sorry. I didn’t even realize what she was after. I promise I didn’t even look at her” Jughead starts rambling.

Betty seems to make a decision internally and tugs him by his hand.

“Come with me” she says, heading in the direction of bathrooms.

Jughead hurries after her through the crowd, abandoning his drink on the bar top.

Betty pushes him into the bathroom, looking around and locks the door after herself.

Jughead can’t really read her face at the moment. She definitely looks determined, but what for?

“Betty, I’m really sorry, you have to believe me, I have eyes only for you” he continues rambling, but she interrupts him with a kiss.

He is taken aback a little bit at first, but Betty deepens the kiss and he sinks into it.

“God, you are so amazing, don’t you dare even think that I would look at some other woman” Jughead continues talking when they break for air, “…wait, what are you doing?”

Betty unbuckles his belt and lowers herself to her knees.

“Betts, I don’t think the floor is clean, what are-…” he is interrupted by her hand sinking into his boxers.

“I am making sure that your words are true and you won’t even think about looking at another woman” she says freeing his length from the confines of his underwear and starting stroking with just the amount of pressure she knows he likes.

Jughead looks with wide eyes at his wife, on her knees before him, realizing what she is about to do. He gets hard in a span of seconds, with her hand stroking his length and the thought of how hot and naughty doing it in semi-public is.

“Never” he breathes in response just as her tongue darts out to lick at his head.

They tried this just once before and he finished too quickly with all the new sensations.

It’s hard to hold on now too, considering how the situation is turning him on. It’s really flattering that Betty is jealous of him, as he still questions if he is worthy of her sometimes. And now his beautiful and sexy wife envelopes his length in her hot mouth and sucks on the its head.

“Oh god” he groans, throwing his head back and leaning on the counter with one hand, the other sinking into Betty’s hair.

She works his length steadily, licking and sucking, not going too deep, but helping with her hand where her mouth is not enough.

Jughead soon starts breathing heavily and when he hears Betty moaning around his shaft, just the thought of her enjoying it pushes his release.

“Betts, I’m close, you have to-…” he tries to warn her, tugging at her hair, but she just bats his hand off.

He comes into her mouth moments later, the world exploding behind his eyelids.

Gathering his breath he hears the water go off near him and when he finally has enough strength to open his eyes and tuck himself in, he sees Betty already freshened up.

“Let’s go home” he says and she nods and smiles, taking his hand.

He doesn’t give a fuck if it’s polite to leave yet, he wants to go home and ravish Betty properly, so she would know just how much he worships her.

The second rock hits them when they are grocery shopping during the weekend. Betty pauses by the stand with pregnancy tests and Brittany’s words ring in her ears.

_“Not pregnant yet?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “15 surprising reasons you’re not having an orgasm” is actually a real article that I found on Woman's Day site.  
> Find me on tumblr as aam-loves


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long

It’s Monday and Betty is standing in the bathroom staring at the pregnancy test laid out on the counter in front of her. It’s ridiculous, to be taunted by a plastic stick in a carton box. But she still can’t bring herself to take the test.

Why isn’t she pregnant yet if they are so compatible as it was said in the bureau. Is something wrong with her? What will it mean for them?

As unsettling thoughts begin to creep into her mind, Betty puts the test back in the drawer and walks out of the bathroom to prepare breakfast.

She tries to stay calm really hard, but Jughead still notices some changes in her. She tends to space out and is less cheerful than usual. He understands it is stupid to point out the lack of Betty’s cheerfulness, especially when he is moody all the time, but she just seems to shut something down. He often sees her furrow her brows in concentration, she starts obsessively maintaining their diet again and he sees her scrutinizing some feminine sort of calendar once.

He has some suspicions as of what it all can be about and they are confirmed when he finds Betty crying over some night-light.

She was searching for some college polaroids for Veronica when she found the light in one of the boxes they had put away in the storage closet. Alice gave it to them as a part of the wedding gift, saying it was some sort of a family relic. It used to be Alice’s in her childhood, then Polly’s, then Betty’s, then Polly’s children and now was the time to give it to Betty for it to keep Betty’s children safe from nightmares. A beautiful and touching story. If only the part about Betty’s children weren’t so painful right now.

“Hey, baby, what’s wrong?” Jughead rushes to her.

“It’s just…” Betty sniffs, “why am I not pregnant?” she turns her tear filled eyes to him.

“Betty…” Jughead sighs.

“They said we were highly compatible and I’m supposed to be fertile. We are doing everything right, but why the tests are negative? Why am I not pregnant? What is wrong with me?” she questions .

Jughead doesn’t know the answer and Betty doesn’t really expect one from him, but a heavy feeling settles in his stomach anyway.

He slumps along the wall, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.

“I feel like I’m letting you down” he whispers, but Betty hears him anyway.

He feels her hands cradling his face and opens his eyes for them to meet her worried expression.

“No, no, no…. Juggie, you are not. You are amazing.” she says.

“And you are absolutely incredible, but you are still sitting here on the floor trying to find a problem in yourself. Maybe it’s because of me… my family isn’t famous to be fertile or…whatever.” he exhales turning his eyes to the floor.

“I…” Betty seems to be at a loss for words. She didn’t expect him to have these thoughts.

“Betty, I will do anything for you. You know it, right? I’m eating salads for God’s sake! We can take testing again, see what we can do, maybe they’ll prescribe us something.” Jughead takes her hands into his own searching her eyes.

“You think we need to do it?”

“I don’t know, honestly, but I will do whatever you want.” he says once again.

“I’m afraid to take the pregnancy test, it’s been sitting in the bathroom drawer for several days already” she confesses.

“You wanna do it?” Jughead asks.

“I think I do. I think I need to.” she tells him.

“Okay…” Jughead says, then stands up and walks out of the room.

Betty is still sitting on the floor when he returns a couple of minutes later with a large bottle of water and a glass.

She drinks three glasses of water, walks into the bathroom and takes a pregnancy test. Then they sit together waiting for the timer to ring anxiously. The time stretches slowly, but the timer finally goes off. The test is negative.

“Two weeks. We are gonna try for two more weeks and if it doesn’t happen, we will go for testing.” Betty says.

“Okay.” Jughead says and kisses her softly.

They try true to their words, but it isn’t robotic sex they had in the beginning of their marriage, but it’s not wild either. It’s both sensual and passionate, sweet and soft. It’s like there is a special meaning to it now, like they are aware that there is a purpose of creating a new life now. Not just the mission of procreation that was put upon them by the government, but a mutual wish to have a child.

They don’t get to reach the end of their two weeks plan. The call from Alice Cooper brings a heavy feeling over their family and a storm of emotions into Betty’s mind.

Betty has just returned from work when Alice calls.

“Hey, mom” she picks up the phone.

“Hello, Elizabeth. How are you feeling today?” Alice greets her in return, being especially official. Which is completely unnecessary, seeing as she is talking to her own daughter.

“I’m fine, mom” Betty answers, rolling her eyes slightly.

“No morning sickness or other signs of pregnancy?” Alice asks.

“No” Betty stiffens. Alice asks about their progress in getting pregnant almost every time she calls, but usually it sounds as an afterthought, now it feels like the pregnancy theme is the whole reason of the call. Betty doesn’t like it, she can feel that it won’t end good.

“Well, that is disturbing” Alice declares over the phone.

“Mom, it’s alright, we…-“ Betty doesn’t get to continue her thought as Alice interrupts her.

“No, Elizabeth, it’s not alright. You’ve been married for four months already and I believe you weren’t avoiding sharing the bed with your husband, as this is the purpose of your marriage.”

“No…” Betty sighs.

“So, it seems rather strange to me you are not pregnant yet, considering your test results. There must be something wrong with that boy.”

“What? There is nothing wrong with Jughead! Why would you think so?” Betty scrambles to defend her husband.

“What else should I think, Betty? Women in our family are exceptionally fertile, so you can’t be the problem. Are you even sure you and Jughead are so highly compatible? What do you even know about his family? He was obviously lacking money before your wedding, so they probably have low fertility level-“

“Mom, just stop! What are you talking about? It was set by the bureau, do you not trust their results?” Betty interrupts her mother’s tirade.

“There could have happened some miscalculations.” Alice doesn’t step from her line.

“What do you want from me? It’s not like we can do more than we are already doing.”

“I organized an appointment for you for tomorrow. You will undergo some testing and then maybe they will test you both as a couple again.” Alice states calmly.

“And…what will happen after that?” Betty asks, fearing the answer.

“Well, if it turns out there actually were some miscalculations and you are not as compatible as it was claimed, I see no sense in keeping this marriage.”

Betty feels like her heart beats in her throat and devastation and rage mixing inside her.

“What do you mean no sense? Like, they will just simply divorce us and marry me to someone else?!” she asks in strained voice.

“Well, yes. I think that’s exactly what will happen in case your test results will lead you such a situation.” Alice replies still calmly as if it’s something simple and not the fact that Betty’s family happiness is at a stake.

“I…I can’t talk anymore” Betty says, suddenly incredibly tired.

“I’ll send you the time for you appointment and all necessary information in a text. I’ll come with tomorrow’s morning train to accompany you to your appointment.”

“Fine. Bye, mom.” Betty mumbles into the phone, wishing this awful call to finish sooner.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth. See you tomorrow.”

Lowering the phone from her ear Betty feels like she is on the verge of crying. She understands that she can’t blame Alice for bringing out the obvious, but everything just feels like someone’s evil plan rather than real life circumstances.

Jughead comes home soon and she tells him about the phone call and the appointment during dinner.

He pales a little and she can see that he understands the possible outcome and is not happy with it either.

“Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?” he asks.

“No…it’s not like I don’t want you with me,” she rushes to reassure him, ”mother will come to accompany me. I didn’t ask her, but you know…”

“Yeah…” he breathes chuckling a little, “Will you call me right after that?”

“Of course” Betty smiles at him, warmth spreading inside her at his concern and care.

She can’t fall asleep this night, tossing and turning from side to side. She can’t help but think about the appointment and the possible consequences.

She was raised to follow the rules of modern society, but now she can see how heartless and indifferent the government is to the people. How can they so easily destroy already existing family? Even if they don’t have children, she and Jughead are already a family. How can she just forget about Jughead and go and marry another man and make babies with him? No, she can’t do this. She and Jughead worked on their relationship, she is less anxious and more happy when she is with him. Was she not supposed to become emotionally attached to her husband? Is it even possible? She can’t imagine what their life at home would be like if they didn’t….

“Oh my god” Betty whispers out loud into the darkness of the room.

She sits up in their bed with the sudden realization of her feelings. She looks at Jughead’s sleeping form, she doesn’t really want to disturb him, but she wants him to know, wants to tell him before it’s too late.

“Jug” she whispers, getting nothing in return.

“Juggie” she tries again, a bit louder, shaking him by his shoulder.

At that Jughead turns blinking sleepily at Betty.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, voice still heavy and raspy from sleep.

“Nothing, everything’s alright” Betty looks at him and can’t believe there is a possibility that she won’t be sleeping in one bed with this man.

“Are you sure? Do you feel alright? Is it about tomorrow?” Jughead showers her with questions becoming more awake with each one.

Betty’s eyes are brimming with teas from the emotions overwhelming her.

“I love you” she finally says quietly, but firmly.

Jughead looks at her, speechless for a moment. He then sits up and takes her hands in his.

“I love you too. So much.” he says without hesitation.

A bright happy smile that stretching Betty’s lips at his words is the best thing in the world.

She throws her arms around his shoulders, tumbling him on his back and connecting their lips in a sweet kiss.

“You do?” Betty asks when they separate.

“Of course, how could I not?” Jughead answers her with a smile.

They kiss again, soft touches of their lips soon become more urgent and heated and they seal their love proclamations with long and passionate love making.

Jughead covers all of Betty’s body with kisses, lingering on the dusky pink of her nipples, bringing them to firm peaks. He spends the significant amount of time between her legs, making her come with his tongue, his name on her lips.

They say that they love each other again and again. When he enters her wet heat, easily sliding inside her. When she comes again and when they finally come together.

Betty is finally able to fall asleep after that, happy, sated and sweaty, in the arms of the man she loves. And before finally slipping into slumber she thinks she is ready to fight for this. Fight for her family, her happiness, her love.

In the morning Betty wakes up with a strange mix of feelings. She is happy because she loves Jughead and he loves her back. But she is dreading the oncoming appointment.

She can tell that Jughead is nervous too, but he is trying not to show it so Betty wouldn’t become anxious.

Anxiety curls inside her stomach anyway and she feels dizzy and a bit nauseous and can’t bring herself to consume the healthy breakfast she prepared.

Jughead hugs her for a long time before leaving for work. He wants to savor the feeling of her in his arms, because the bit of self deprecating and insecure boy still left inside him tells him that that’s what was supposed to happen, he can’t be happy with a woman like Betty, it wasn’t meant to be him. Al last he tightens his embrace a little bit and kisses the top of her head.

“I love you” he tells her.

“I love you too” Betty says in return.

He leaves and she stays home, having taken a day off work. Alice calls to tell her that she has already headed out to the city to accompany her to the appointment and the heavy feeling inside Betty’s stomach returns with new force.

She takes a shower and dresses for the meeting, tidying up the apartment in case Alice decides to come over before or after it.

Betty feels her anxiety crawling up her skin, her stomach cramps reminding her she hasn’t eaten her breakfast, but she is afraid if she eats anything she will actually throw up, so she settles with chamomile tea.

Soon Alice arrives and Betty takes a deep breath and heads out to the bureau.

The building is the same, but there is a different kind of nervousness she feels standing before it again.

The first time when she was about to meet Jughead she was a bit terrified of the changes that would happen in her life, but intrigued. Now she is just terrified and uneasy.

Alice tells her name and the purpose of their visit at the reception and she just follows her through the corridors.

She sits in the waiting room looking at her fingernails and mentally talking herself out of curling them inside her palms. She knows it would upset Jughead.

“Mrs Elizabeth Jones” some calls her name and she takes a deep breath before standing from her chair and going inside the office, Alice trailing behind her.

There is a kind looking woman behind the desk.

“Hello, I’m Dr Whitfield, and you...” she looks between Betty and her mother.

“This is Elizabeth Jones” Alice says pointing at Betty, “I’m her mother, Alice Cooper”.

“You can call me Betty, please” Betty says and Alice cringes a little, she never really liked the shortened name Betty likes to call herself.

“Very well,” the doctor smiles, “so, what has caused you to make an appointment?”

“She is not pregnant” Alice blurts and doctor raises her eyebrows looking between her and Betty.

Betty clears her throat before speaking, “Um... me and my husband were matched and got married around four months ago and we’ve been trying ever since, but it seems we haven’t been able to conceive a child, though the specialist at the bureau said that we have an amazingly high compatibility level…” she explains.

“I see...” the doctor says, her gaze is soft and compassionate, “have you been maintaining a diet? Monitoring your cycle?”

“Yes”

“Hmm... I suppose you took the pregnancy tests.”

“Yes”

“Well... I suggest we make a quick blood scan right now so we can see what we need to check further.”

“Okay” Betty murmurs.

“Please, follow me to the laboratory.”

Dr Whitfield leads her to the laboratory where a nurse takes her blood for testing. She tells Betty the results will be ready in a few minutes and suggest her and Alice to have some tea. Alice talks about how she is sure everything will be alright with Betty and there is probably some problem with Jughead, while Betty sips her tea and stares at the wall blankly.

Soon, Dr Whitfield calls them back to her office.

Doctor’s brows are furrowed when she looks through the papers with Betty’s results and Betty becomes even more nervous, she has almost curled her fingers inside her palms when Dr Whitfield starts speaking.

“How long ago have you taken the last test?”

“Um... probably about a week ago.”

“Have you been trying to conceive after that?”

“Yes” Betty blushes, though she understands there is nothing to be embarrassed of.

“Well... either the test wasn’t sensitive enough or you have conceived after that” the doctor says with a smile.

“What?” Alice and Betty ask in unison.

“You are pregnant, Betty. the term must be around one or two weeks, it’s too little to get recognized by simple “at home” tests, but I can clearly see the changes in your blood indicating your pregnancy. I think you should make an appointment for another doctor.” Dr Whitfield says kindly.

“Pregnant” Betty whispers with happy tears in her eyes and her palm on her still flat stomach.


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The glimpses of Jughead and Betty's happy life.

After her appointment Betty goes straight to Jughead’s office, not able to wait till he comes home from work and not wanting to tell him their big news on the phone.

When she enters his office, he rushes to meet her, his face twisted in concern.

“Betty, what happened? Why are you here? Everything ok? How did it go?” He showers her with questions.

Betty just smiles and brings her hands to his face.

“I’m pregnant” she says softly.

“You are...” Jughead’s eyes go big and round.

“Yes” she smiles nodding happily.

“Oh my god” he breathes, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

He hugs her close and kisses her and then they go home. Jughead is too excited to work.

* * *

Betty is sitting on the sofa in Jughead’s T-shirt and special leggings for pregnant women and enjoys ice cream while watching mindless tv shows. It’s the first week she isn’t working and she is happy to relax a bit, as working full day while being 8 months pregnant started being exhausting, but she’s honestly bored to death already.

She hears keys rattling in the lock, then Jughead walks into their apartment.

“Hi, baby!” he calls

“Which one?” Betty giggles.

He chuckles and comes to the sofa where she is sitting, “Both of you. My baby momma,” he pecks her on the lips, “and my baby boy” he kisses her rounded belly.

“How has the little guy been doing today?” Jughead asks.

“Good.” Betty says rubbing her belly adoringly. When she was a child, she always imagined herself to have a daughter, but when they were told they were having a boy, she couldn’t be more happy and Jughead seemed to feel the same.

“Are you feeling alright? Need a foot rub?” Jughead asks, he’s been nothing but loving and attentive husband ever since they found out Betty was pregnant.

“I’m fine. Maybe later.” she smiles, “but I’m bored to death already, and it’s just the fourth day home”, she continues with a groan.

“Well.... I might have something for you.” Jughead says digging into his bag.

He gives her a stack of bound papers. She reads the title at the front page and all the air leaves her lungs.

“Is that...?” she asks him with sparkling eyes.

“The manuscript of my novel” Jughead says a bit sheepishly.

“You want me to read it?” Betty seems to be not able to contain her excitement.

“Yeah, I want you to be the first. And...”

She nods encouraging him to speak further.

“Maybe you would like to edit it?” He finally asks.

“Oh my god! Are you for real? Of course!” she squeals and hugs him as tight as she can with her prominent belly.

“I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else” he murmurs into her hair and smiles, content with her happy in his arms.

* * *

**_1 year later_ **

Jughead and Betty are having a rare night off, with Alice babysitting Noah.

They went to a nice restaurant, each with their own purpose of the evening.

Jughead clears his throat and raises his glass of wine, “So, I have some news...”

He then furrows his brows looking at Betty’s hand holding a glass of water, her wine stands untouched.

As if on cue she speaks, “I have some news too.”

“I...” Jughead starts, but then it clicks in his head, “is that what I’m thinking?” he asks motioning t her glass of water and wine.

“If you are thinking that I’m pregnant, then yeah... it is.” Betty smiles softly at him.

“Oh my god, baby...” he takes her hands in his across the table and squeezes them.

“Are you?... You are not upset, right?” she asks.

“Upset? No! How can you think so! It’s just unexpected and I’m processing the news, but, God, nothing makes me more happy than you and our son, well, our children” he grins at her widely.

“I love you so much” she whispers through happy tears, then sniffs and dabs under her eyes with a napkin, “what was your news, anyway?”

“My...” Jughead trails, having forgotten for a moment that he organized this dinner date to share his own exciting news, “oh, yeah. I.... I’ve got a book deal.”

“You what now?!” Betty asks happily.

“Yeah, and they asked if I had something in work, because it would look great in a series, so I showed them my drafts and they liked it” he shares with her.

“Oh my god, Juggie. That’s amazing! I want to crawl into your lap and hug you, but I’m afraid such behavior is not accepted in this fancy place.” She laughs and Jughead regrets for a moment that he chose such a high end place.

“Wanna ditch and go to the diner?” he chuckles.

“God yes! It’s all your child inside me, it makes me crave greasy food!”

They laugh, pay the bill and go to their favorite diner not far from home.

* * *

They go to the first scan together again. Though it is Betty’s second pregnancy they are no less excited.

They go through familiar procedure of waiting till their names are called and filling in the papers. The new part comes when Betty is already laying on the table and the doctor declares they’ll be hearing the heartbeat now.

“Now you can hear the first heartbeat....” the doctor trails off and they hear fast and steady beat of their baby’s heart. Betty and Jughead smile at each other, but their happy moment is interrupted with doctor.

“And that’s the second one”

Betty’s eyes go comically round while she is still looking at Jughead, mirroring the shock on his face.

She turns to the doctor and asks, “The second? Like... there are two babies there?”

“Yes! Two steady heartbeats. You are having twins.” the doctor smiles at them.

“Wow” Jughead breathes beside Betty.

The doctor quickly finishes the procedure and lets them clean up without audience.

“Two babies, Juggie...” Betty says just above whisper, a bit overwhelmed and afraid what Jughead’s reaction to such unexpected news would be.

“Do you think they are girls or boys?” he asks her with a huge grin on his face.

“I honestly don’t care”, Betty chuckles, “are you happy?”

“Oh my god, Betty, I’m ecstatic! I mean, yes, this is unexpected and it’s not gonna be easy with Noah still so little, but how can I not be happy? Everything I want in this life is a big happy family with you.” Jughead tells her and Betty lets out a happy sob, not able to contain her emotions.

* * *

Jughead grunts lifting another heavy box from the bed of the truck. He pauses for a moment before carrying the box into his new home and admires their new townhouse. It’s a dream come true. Their own home in quiet area, with a backyard for their children to play. Maybe they will get a dog... He is especially happy they were able to buy it on their own, without government support. His third book of the series was released a few months ago and he got a pretty penny for the whole series. It’s ultimately satisfying to know that he can provide for his family, his gorgeous wife and children.

Noah is about to go to school. He turned out to be the spitting image of Jughead, just as smart as both of his parents, but happily, with a more pleasant character than Jughead’s. Though Noah has his moody moments too.

The girls... they are all Betty. Daisy and Rosie have Betty’s golden blonde curls, but Jughead’s blue eyes with specks of Betty’s green. Shy at first glance, they are energetic and artistic, smart and polite. True rays of sunshine.

Jughead adjusts the box in his hands and walks to the house. Entering the door he hears children’s laughter and squeals.

“Daddy, daddy! The walls in our room are pink and lilac! Have you seen?” Daisy rushes to him.

“Yeah, just like you asked” he smiles, setting the box on the stack of other ones.

He walks into the kitchen, where Betty is busy unboxing already, and sits at the kitchen isle grunting again.

“Juggie, I can’t remember where I put the big bowls for salad and it seems we need to do some grocery shopping for dinner” she says staying focused on the things inside the box.

“Ugghh, Betts, no, let’s just order pizza”

“But Jug...”

“Betty, I love you and I love your cooking, even salads, but I’m 30 years old father of three children, who think that piggybacking their daddy is the funniest thing ever. And I’ve been carrying boxes for the whole day.”

Betty finally turns to look at him and smiles at him softly, easily giving in to his whining.

“The father of four, Juggie....” she says rubbing her rounded, yet little belly.

He chuckles and stands to come around the isle to her.

“Sorry little one” he says and bends to kiss her belly.

“So... pizza?” Betty asks amiling.

“I love you” he says.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is sad to say goodbye. Maybe it took me so long to write the final chapter because I didn't want to part with my first multichapter work. Anyway, thank all of you, who has been with me through this journey. Thanks for your lovely comments and encouraging me. Love you all and hope you enjoyed this story.


End file.
